Chris Richards reached a historic milestone on Sunday in entrance of the Selhurst Park trustworthy.
Richards made his one centesimal Crystal Palace look, scoring as soon as within the membership’s 3-1 London Derby defeat to Chelsea. The American defender logged the complete 90 minutes within the match, celebrating his first league purpose of the marketing campaign and his second total in all competitions.
Regardless of the visiting Blues dampening the temper in South London, Richards mirrored on his century mark of appearances for the Eagles.
“It’s been a blessing, it’s been a journey,” Richards mentioned postmatch in a membership interview. “It’s felt like much more than 100 video games but it surely’s a proud second for myself. It’s been the longest that I’ve been at a membership and I believe it’s for a cause. I felt at dwelling right here, I really feel like I’ve a household that helps me on daily basis once I step into the constructing.
Not simply at Copers Cope but additionally at Selhurst,” he added. “By way of the ups and downs, everybody has been by my facet, by way of accidents, by way of dangerous outcomes, by way of good outcomes, by way of an FA Cup, Supporters’ Protect. The entire journey right here has been stunning and hopefully I’ve have 100 extra video games to go.”
Richards joined Crystal Palace from German giants Bayern Munich in July 2022 with simply 45 first workforce appearances underneath his belt. Though he additionally spent components of two Bundesliga campaigns on mortgage at Hoffenheim, Richards has actually risen to the problem with Crystal Palace, logging over 8,000 minutes for the membership in all competitions.
He helped the Eagles raise the FA Cup over Manchester Metropolis final Might earlier than additionally capturing the Group Protect over reigning EPL winners Liverpool in August. Richards helped Crystal Palace make their European debut within the UEFA Convention League this fall/winter, making 5 appearances and contributing within the membership’s development to the knockout section.
Richards’ productive run in England has additionally led to Richards changing into a key face for the U.S. males’s nationwide workforce over the previous few years. The Alabama native has earned 32 senior caps for the reason that begin of 2022, scoring three objectives and serving to the USMNT win the CONCACAF Nations League twice.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup lower than 5 months from kicking off, Richards is actually one of many key figures in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad heading into the competitors, and though he very effectively would’ve been among the many centerback choices regardless, his impactful time at Crystal Palace has certainly helped enhance his inventory.
Richards will now begin his quest in the direction of 200 Crystal Palace appearances on Sunday when the Eagles go to Nottingham Forest in Premier League play.